Fuel-feeding apparatus



Oct. 20' 1925 1,557,773 A.C.HLCHER ETAL l FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed April 3, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,In ven 60219.'

oct. zo, 1925. 1,557,773

A. C. PILCHER ET AL FUEL FEED'ING APPARATUS Oct. 20, 1925.

. A.C.HLCHER TAL FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 3,

m fzueutoiw: Allen Clyon Pilcher;

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lPatented Oct. 20, 19.25.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN CLIFTON PILCHEB, JOHN FRANCIS BABBITT,l AND JOHN VASHE PILCHER, OF.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS T0 EFFICIENCY MFG. C0., 0F KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION 0F KENTUCKY.

LOUISVILLE,

FUEL-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Application tiled April. 3, 1922. v Serial No. 549,125.

To all 'whom zt may conce-m: i

Be it known that we, ALLEN CLIFTON PILCHER, JOHN FRANCIS BABBITT, and J oHN VASHE PILCHER, citizens of tlie United States, and residents of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Ourn present invention relates to improvementsin fuel feeding devices for furnaces. l One object of the invention is to provide a feeding device of a portable nature which can be readily moved into position to supply the fire pot and removed therefrom.

Another object isto provide a feeding device which may be applied to a furnace or juxtaposed thereto and which will be arranged to automatically feed fuel intothe furnace after determined periods.

Still another object is to provide a single feeding device which may be used to successively supply fuel to a plurality or bank of furnaces.

The inventionv further aims to provide apparatus which will automatically supply a definite or uniform amount of fuel.

Still another object is to provide such apparatus equipped with automatic spreading and tamping means.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention includes the novel features of construction andarrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

The preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing our improved apparatus in feeding position relative to a' furnace, Ywhich latter, as it is intended to be representative of any ordinary or desiredform, is shown in a conven tional manner only. v

Fig. 2 is a front elevation Vof the feeding 'appara-tus.-

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail'views,4

taken at right angles to each other, illus-y trating the driving mechanism or earing.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views'of t e clock operated controlling mechanism.

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged detail views illustrating the feed Jscrew arrangement, Fig. 7'being a section on line 7-7 of Fig. '8.

Referring by reference characters to 'these drawings, the numeral 1' designates a hopper of a size to contain sufficient fuel to supply a furnace fire pot with a plurality of charges, or to supply all the furnaces of a bank or series, which hopper is carried by a suitable frame 2 mounted upon casters or wheels 3 which enable it to be readily moved into and out of operative position relative to the furnace, which latter is indicated at 4.

The' hopper delivers at its lower end into,

the trough shaped front end of a tubular conduit 5 which is of a size to have its delivery., end readily Venter the feed opening to the fire pot, and this delivery portion may be in the shape of a separate tube `5 connected to the front portion by a screw coupling, as indicated at 5l.

Within the tube is located screw means for conveying the fuel from the hopper through the delivery tube into the fire pot, and we prefer to make this screw means of duplex form, including a primary screw 6 and a secondary screw.7 which are designed to be operated in unison for a definite periodl of time, whereupon the' primary screw is stopped and the secondary screw continues to operate until the portion `5a of the tube or conduit is completely emptied.

' The primary screw or conveyor 6 1s preferably tapered as shown in detail in Figs.- 7 and 8, or in other words, its helical blade decreases in height towards the delivery end so that the distance of the edge of'the blade from the wall of the conduit increases so that all liability of jamming or clogging of the fuel is removed. v

To effect the stopping ofl the. primary screw and the continued operation of the secondary screw, the former is carried b a rotary sleeve Gavsuitably' journaled' wit in the tube, through'which passes a. shaft 7? which has one end rigidly connected tothe screw 7 and carries at itsother or frontend outside of the hopper a worm wheel 8 which is driven by a worm 9 fast on drive shaft 10. l This shaft may be rotated from any suitable source of power, preferably from an elect-ric motor-10 through belt 11 passingr around belt pulley 12 on shaft 10 and a los'- worm wheel 8 through the intermediary of a clutch 13 designed to be operated in the mannerA hereinafter described.

To enable the apparatus to be set to feed fuel after .a given period, we provide aI spring controlled switch 14, (Fig. ful-` crumed on a fixed pivot 14 and normally designed to be energized at a determined tlme by a lcircuit closing clock 18, which, as v it may be of -anyordinary and well known cplnstruction, is onlyfillustrated conventiona' y f The circuit. having been closed and the vmotor started, Iboth screws are revolved and fuel yfed to the furnace fire pot. After the screw conveyors have made the number of revolutionsa cam- 19 earned by a'gear 19a driven. from asmall gear 19b fast on gear 8 operates the `clutch 13 against pressure of spring 121 to `unclutch thev primary conveyor screw, whereby said primary screw is stopped andthe secondary conveyor yscrew continues to rotate until the delivery tube is completely emptied, whereupon cam 29, .carried by gear 19a,- operates against roller 27h on lever 27 fulcrumed at 27a swinging said lever and 'forcing connecting rod or bar 26 in the'direction of the arrow, Fig. 5,

` and as lever 15 and magnet 17 are carried 'y bar'or rod 26, this moves switch leverull and breaks the circuit.

When=the yclock again makes contact and current is passed through the magnet, lock 'lever 15 is raised, releasing switch lever 14,

` which is immediately moved by spring 16 -to close the'motor circuit Yand repeat the cycle. 'l 'The cam 19 acts on a roller 22 fast on a "clutch fork 23, vwhich fork operates the clutch 13, hereinbefo're referred to.

` Deration that means should be provided for,

In connection with apparatus such as above described, it is essential yto proper :pleading and tamping the fuel.

.To this end we provide a spreader 24 which may be ofl shape corresponding to the character of fire pot,`and which has its stem 24Il plvotally connected with the horizontally extending arms 25 of a duplex bell crank lever fulcrumed at 25 on the sides of :spreader 24 is in raised position and'serves as a spreader or distributor for the fuel.

uisite from, fuel feeding low'sha lfor operating said drive wheel, and anautomatically o rated clutch for effecting the Near the end of the firing period cam 29 allowsthe spreader 24 to drop, tamping the fire, and is immediately raised, breaking motor circuit. v a

The spreader and tamper, being pivotally supported yfrom the bell crank, is easily removed through the fire door when the feeding device is removed from the furnace.

lt will be understood that in practice the motor would be connected with a source of electric current by the customary flexible vsupply cables permitting the necessary and secondary feed devices in said conduit,

means forl operating both said devices in unison for a determined lengthof time and for stopping the primary device and continuing the feed of the secondary'device for a further determined length .of time.

3. Fuel feeding apparatus, Vcomprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, primary and secondary feed screws in said condult,

a motor .connected toI directly operate said p secondary feed screw, automatic means for controlling the action of the motor, and a clutch for disconnecting the primary feed screw from said motor with means for automatically operating said clutch.

4. Fuel feeding' apparatus, comprisingI a hopper, a conduit for delivering fuel theremeans insaid conduit, a bell crank pivotal y supported at the side of the conduit and having a horizontal arm terminating adjacent the end'of the c ondult, a fuel spreading and tamping device suspended from said horizontal arm, and means for operating said bell crank.

5. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper 'having a delivery conduit, a feed screw therein, a drivewheel for said feed screw, automatic means for operatlng sald drive wheel, a movably supported fuel spreader adjacent the end of the conduit, and means for moving said fuel spreader, including a vcam device operated from said drive wheel.

6. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, a primary feed screw therein having a hollow operating shaft, a secondaryA feed screw havin an operatin shaft extending through said oland carrying a drive wheehaneans drive-ofsai `lfuillow shaft.

ist

' 7. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, a primary feed screw therein having a hollow operating shaft, a secondary feed screw having an operating shaft extending through said hollowshaft and carrying a drive wheel, means for operating said drive wheel, a clutch for connecting said hollow shaft with said drive wheel, a clutch shifting device, and acam operated from said drive wheel for operating said clutch shifting device.

8. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising ahopper having a delivery conduit, a primary feed screw therein having a hollow 0perating shaft, a secondary feed screw having an operating shaft extending through said hollow shaft and carrying a drive wheel, means for operating said drive wheel, a clutch for connecting said hollow shaft with said drive wheel, a clutch shifting device, a cam operated from said drive wheel for operating said clutch shifting device, a fuel spreader supported to have vertical movement adjacent the end of the conduit, and means for imparting movement to said fuel spreader, including a rotary cam, and means for driving said cam'from said drive wheel. v j

9. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, means for feeding fuel through said conduit, a bell crank pivoted at the side ofthe conduit and having a 'horizontal armterminating adjacent the end of the conduit, a fuel spreader Supported from said arm, a lever fulcrumed on a fixed axis, a bar'connecting said lever with the other arm of the bell crank, a cam for-operating said lever, and means for operating l--said cam in unison with the fuel feeding means. A

10. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, means for feeding fuel through said conduit, a bell crank pivoted at the side of the conduit and i having a horizontal arm terminating adjacent the endof the conduit, a fuel spreader supported from said arm, a lever fulcrumed on a' fixed aXls, a bar connecting said lever with the other arm of lthe bell crank, a cam for operating said lever, and means for operating said cam in unison with" the fuel. feeding means, comprising an electric motor,

time controlled means for energizing saidl motor, and means controlled by the movement of said bar for stopping the motor.

11. Fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a hopper having a delivery conduit, means for feeding fu'el through said conduit, a bell crank pivoted at the side of the conduit and having a horizontal.y arm terminating adjacent the end of the conduit, a fuel spreader supported from said arm, a lever fulcrumed on a fixed axis,.a bar connecting said lever with the other arm ofthe bell" crank, a cam for operating said lever, and means for operating said cam in unison with the fuel feeding means, comprising an electric motor,

a switch arm fulcrumed on `a fixed axis and controlling the flow of current to the motor., a` lock lever for said switch arm carried by said link or bar, a magnet also carried by said bar for operatingpsa'id lock lever, and

time controlled means for energizing said l In testimonydwhereof, we affix our signa ALLEN CLIFTON, PILCHER.-

A JOHN FRANCIS BABBITT. y

JOHN VASI-IE PILCHER. 

